Shaun didn’t know how to feel about that. She should be angry that she'd been dragged from her extremely important work and forced to come here, to this mansion, to be married off to a member of the Koba crime family. But she wasn’t angry. She didn't feel scared or sad, either. Any of those emotions would've been appropriate, even welcome.
Instead… she felt numb. If she were to self-diagnose, she would say that she was likely experiencing prolonged shock. A physiological response to her kidnapping; a response meant to protect her. But the shock was slowing her down, making her brain feel sluggish. She needed to snap out of it, come up with a plan.
"Hey… we can plan a shopping trip for another day if you're not ready." Leeza’s concerned gaze was on Shaun’s face.
Shaun blinked and shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to miss a chance to go into the city. There were far more opportunities for escape there than at the heavily guarded mansion.
"Sorry," she murmured and attempted a smile. "I drifted away for a moment. I'm fine, all set to go."
Leeza looked relieved while Saskia let out a short cackle of laughter. Dasha frowned at her youngest daughter.
"She said sorry and she's Canadian," Saskia giggled. "I've always wanted to hear a Canadian say that. She had the accent and everything, it was perfect.”
Leeza laughed too but reached out to swat her sister's arm. "You're so immature; be polite to our guest."
Shaun's lips curled up at the exchange and she surprised herself by wanting to laugh with the sisters. It was so strange to watch the Koba family interact. They seemed so… normal. Not what she would've expected from a ruthless mafia family, though she didn't know exactly what she expected. Maybe guns at the dinner table, snide comments, backstabbing, a graveyard in the garden. She certainly hadn't expected the warmth and caring she was experiencing from them.
Shaun jumped when someone touched her arm and she looked down at the strong fingers wrapping around her. Jozef tugged her to the side, away from everyone else. Her gaze travelled up his fingers to his veined hands, past the tattoos to the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt and finally to his face.
His deep blue eyes were solemn as he looked down at her, the scar across his lips a stark reminder of the violence surrounding these people. Everything about him was tense and serious. Shaun hadn’t actually seen him in any other mood yet. He always looked grim, as though he expected the worst. Maybe he had to be that way in order to be an effective enforcer. If he prepared for the worst, then he would always be ready for whatever came at him. Shaun had personal experience with the terrible decisions this man had to make.
She thought about how deftly he’d handled his uncle's kidnapping. How he'd found the one woman in that area of Ukraine who was both a doctor and could understand sign language. The way he’d gotten the information he needed out of his hostage, despite the setback of his victim having a heart attack, and then proceeded to release his uncle from imprisonment. Like clockwork, everything he did was smooth and well-planned.
Everything except her. He hadn’t planned on keeping her alive.
He gave her a little shake and Shaun realized he was trying to communicate with her, but she’d been gazing blankly at his face. She blinked rapidly and dropped her eyes to his hands, interpreting what he was telling her. He slowed his movements so she could easily follow.
You will not try to escape while you are in the city. Purchase anything you need or want, regardless of cost. You will listen to your bodyguards and follow my cousins’ lead.
Shaun nodded. She wanted to ask what would happen if she did try to run or if she refused to listen to her bodyguards, but they were surrounded by people, both family and security. She didn't want to hint that she was going to do her level best to figure out a way to get away from her escort.
Perhaps he could read her mind, or maybe her intentions were written on her face. Either way Jozef gripped her chin and tilted her face up to his. His eyes darkened and he frowned down at her, warning her without a word what would happen if she tried to escape. She shivered under his fierce glare and took a step back, her gaze fixed on his scarred throat.
Jozef guided her back to his men and introduced her to one of them. This is K-A-R-L, he’s in charge of family security. He will act as your personal bodyguard.
Shaun shook Karl’s hand and wondered if he was in charge of making sure she didn’t escape or in charge of keeping her safe. She wondered if he was being permanently assigned to her or if it was just for the day, and how he felt about having to protect a foreign captive. She didn’t ask any of her questions though. Karl had a large bulge under his jacket that could only be a gun and his face was carved from a boulder.
After the preparations were made, the three women were escorted to the vehicles. Leeza chose to ride in the dark SUV with Shaun while two bodyguards occupied the front seats. Saskia chose to take the vehicle behind theirs, with the other three guards.
Shaun was about to climb inside the SUV when Jozef caught her arm and swung her around, pulling her into his chest. He shoved his fingers into her hair, pinching her scalp. He tipped her head back and placed a quick, stinging kiss on her lips.
Before Shaun could react, he was pushing her into the vehicle and slamming the door shut. She stared at him through the window as the car fired to life under the hands of their driver. A small smile creased his scarred lips as she lifted her fingers to her mouth.
As they travelled into Prague, Leeza chattered happily about all the shops they would visit and where they might eat lunch.
Shaun’s gaze remained out the window, though she murmured her agreement whenever Leeza fell silent, seeming to expect an answer from her companion. It was telling that Jozef was okay with Shaun leaving the property without a blindfold or anything. The mansion was on the edge of Prague, on its own sprawling piece of land. The drive into downtown took about forty minutes, but Shaun was able to memorize every twist and turn.
Jozef must be really serious about marrying her if he was buying her a new wardrobe and was okay with her knowing her way to and from the mansion. If she were somehow to escape, she could easily send the authorities after the Koba family. They must be very confident in their ability to contain Shaun.
Leeza let out a trill of laughter that drew Shaun’s attention. The other woman looked carefree and happy, which gave Shaun a pang as she realized that Leeza would likely be arrested too if Shaun accused the family of kidnapping. She was an accessory. Shaun wasn't naïve enough to believe that any single member of the family didn't know the circumstances surrounding her engagement to Jozef.
She wondered if they were okay with it though. Shaun couldn't imagine any circumstance under which she would be okay with the illegal imprisonment of another woman. Maybe this was life as usual for them, but since she hadn't seen any other captive women in the mansion, she somehow doubted that this was a normal circumstance.
Shaun was growing tired of pretending that she wasn't a kidnap victim, of going along with the Koba family who thought nothing of stealing a person and handing her over the marriage.
"Why are you being nice to me?" Shaun asked bluntly.
Leeza looked taken aback. A shutter dropped over her face and her expression smoothed into blankness. Shaun felt guilty that she was ruining what was likely a rare day in the city for Leeza. At breakfast she’d indicated that her son was a handful and she spent most of her time with him.